Mississippi awarded $59.1M helicopter contract for border security

WASHINGTON – The Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee today announced the award of a $59.1 million contract to procure Mississippi-produced Light Enforcement Helicopters for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The Customs and Border Protection contract is for the delivery of nine LEH aircraft, with an option for a tenth helicopter. With the option, the total contract is valued at $65.7 million. The LEH aircraft, used for border surveillance and law enforcement missions, will be manufactured at the Airbus plant in Columbus.

The contract, which draws from FY2017 and FY2018 appropriations, will entail designing, building, installing, testing and certifying the aircraft for CBP use.

The Department of Homeland Security approved a similar contract in July 2018, with $45.9 million allotted to procure seven LEH produced in Mississippi’s Golden Triangle Region.